Garbage truck



Jan; 29, 1946. v. L. IBALBI 2,393,732

GARBAGE TRUCK Filed Dec 22, 1944 u /a 24 I D EQEQBliEflQLQZQ IN VEN TOR MMM ATTORNEY.

. 'LMm'mw-OCBMZL I Patented Jan. 29, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARBAGE TRUCK Valentino L. Balbi, South San Francisco, Calif.

Application December 22, 1944, Serial No. 569,657

3 Claims. (Cl. 214-67) This invention relates to improvements in garbage trucks, and more particularly to improved loading means therefor.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved garbage or refuse truck having novel automatic conveyor means which is arranged to receive material deposited in a hopper located at a low accessible point at the forward end of the truck body, and convey the same upwardly and discharge it inside the body.

Another object of my invention is to rovide an improved loading means. for truck bodies, having a novel conveyor means which permits the convenient and expeditious transfer of garbage or other material into the truck body without the necessity of resorting to the tedious methods now commonly used.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved truck body of the type equipped with high enclosing sides, having novel loading means which permits, the automatic transfer of material into the truck from a receiving hopper arranged in a position where it can be manually loaded from the street level.

Other and further objects of my invention will be pointed out hereinafter, or will be indicated in the appended claims, or will be obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the present disclosure. For the purpose of this application I have elected to show herein certain forms and details of a garbage truck representative of my invention; it is to be understood, however, that the embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is for the purpose of illustration only, and that therefore it is not to be regarded as exhaustive of the variations of the invention, nor is it to be given an interpretation such as might have the effect of limiting the claims, short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a garbage or refuse truck having my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the detailed construction of one end of the conveyor.

Referring to the drawing,-the numeral I designates a truck chassis mounted in the usual way on wheels 2. At the forward end ofthe chassis is a truck engine (not shown) and a driver's cab 3.

Pivotally connected as at 4 to the rear end of the chassis l is a sub-frame 5 upon which is mounted an open truck body 6. The truck body comprises a bed or floor 1, high enclosin front and lateral sides 8 and a pivoted rear end 9 which may embody any one of a number of different constructions. In the particular embodiment shown on the drawing, the rear end of the truck body is pivotally connected at its upper end to the lateral sides 8, and when the said body is tilted (as shown by the broken lines in Fig. 1) to cause the discharge of the contents of the truck body, the said rear end automatically assumesan open position. Latch means Ill normally holds the rear end 9 in a closed position so the contents of the truck body cannot escape therefrom. The truck is provided in the usual manner with flights of steps H and 12 positioned behind the driver's cab 3 Which permit the operators or loaders to manually carry material into positions Where it can be lifted over the front end of the truck body and deposited therein. However, by employing my invention, the steps I I and I2 need not be used in the loading of the truck, except in emergencies.

Secured to the truck body 6 or to the tiltable subframe 5 is a receiving hopper l3 for holding refuse, garbage or other material deposited therein for subsequent delivery into the truck body. The receiving hopper is positioned externally of the truck body and forwardly of the front side thereof. It extends beneath the bed 1 of the truck body and is preferably positioned at one side of the steps l2 and near one of the lateral sides 8 of the said body. The hopper I3 is so arranged that garbage, refuse or other material can be conveniently deposited into its open upper side by a person standing on the sidewalk adjacent the street upon which the truck is operating. In the bed 1 of the truck body at the particular front corner which is positioned directly behind the hopper l3 there is provided a rectangular opening through which an inclined trough-like frame l4 extends. The trough-like frame is open at its upper side and its outer side wall is suitably se- I cured as by welding or other means to the adjacent lateral side 8 of the truck body. The lower front end of the frame I4 is rigidly secured to the rear end of the hopper l3, and its upper rear end is preferably arranged in a position well above the truck body.

An endless conveyor I5 having upper and lower flights is positioned inside the hopper l3 and the trough-like frame M. The endless conveyor comprises spaced sprocket chains l6 which are joined by a plurality of parallel outwardly projecting spaced plates I! which extend substanframe.

tially across the interior of the hopper and the The endless conveyor l extends over rotatable sprocket wheels (not shown in detail) I secured to a drive shaft l8 at the upper end of the frame M. The endless conveyor extends over sprocket wheels [9 rotatably mounted at the forward end of the hopper I3 near the bottom thereof. Suitably positioned rotatable idler 20 secured in the forward end of the hopper l3 near its bottom engage: with the upper and lower flights of'the endless conveyor and maintain those part of the endless conveyor located in the hopper in substantally horizontal positions.

A stationary supporting panel or member 2-l-= ex tending longitudinally through the hopper and the trough-like frame andarranged beneath the upper flight of the endless conveyor. l5-, -sup--- ports the said upper flight so that it does not sag. The supporting member 2| also supportsany materialsuch asgarbage or refuse whenit is deposited in the hopper both while, in said hopper and while itis being conveyed therefrom to a dumping. position at the. upper end of" the frame. The outwardly projecting plates II of the upper flight of the endless conveyor I5'engage with the garbage or other material resting, on that. part of the supporting. plate 21' which is.

located in the hopp'er,jand carry it. upwardly to a point; where the endless conveyor passes over the shaft l8, and there' it discharges the said material into the truck body'where it is An inclined.

supported on thebed of the latter. defle'ctorplate 22' secured to the front. side of the hopper I3 is so arranged asto cause garbage.

refuse'or other material dumped into the forward end of the'hopper to be deflected in a for- 'ward direction onto. supporting .member 2| where. it" can be enga edby the endless conveyor and carried upwardly through the trough-like frame.

to'a position where it is discharged into the. interior ofthe body 6.. I V

' M'ounted'on the sub-frame 5is an engine or other source of power 23 which is operatively connected bya chain drive 24" to the. drive. shaft I'B; A; suitable clutch. 25' arranged between and connected to the engine and thechain drive provides means for controlling the operation of the endless conveyor I5. A hand control lever 26 provides means for operating the clutch 25.

open top; abed" and enclosing sides, a material receiving; hopper secured exteriorly of and at the front end of the truck body and having its bottom arranged beneath the bed of the truck body, an inclined endless. material. conveyor having its. receiving end positioned, inside the. hopper Where it is,arranged.v to. enga e with. material in. the. hopper,. the. said conveyor. extending throughthebed to. anelevated discharge position inside the truck. body wellabovethe.

central area of the. bed;'.and, means. for, actuatiingthe endless. conveyor.

3'. In an. automotive truck. having a. chassis. a sub-frame tiltably mounted" onthejchassisa material holding. truck. body securedlon thelsubframe and having a. bed. for supporting material discharged thereon,.a, receiving hopper mounted;

on the subef'rame andJarranged exteriorly of. and;

infront, of. the truck. body,, the said hopper hav.- ing. an open top and; a closed.bottom,.the. bottom. of' the hopper being disposed below thebed of.

the truck body, an. endless. inclined material. conveyor extending. through an. opening. in. the. bed of the truck from a, point? in, the. hopper where, its receiving end is arranged to. engage with ma: terial deposited therein to an elevated. discharge, point inside the truck body, and means for 9401111.- ating the conveyor.

VALENTINO L. BALBIL. 

